KPK Reminds Regional Heads They Have No Obligation to Provide Holiday Allowances to External Parties
Jakarta — The Indonesian Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has reminded regional heads that they have no obligation to provide anything whatsoever to external parties, including holiday allowances (THR), following the case of Cilacap Regent Syamsul Auliya Rachman (AUL) who allegedly engaged in extortion for THR distribution.
“Once again, the KPK reminds [officials] that regional heads have no obligation to provide anything whatsoever to external parties,” said Asep Guntur Rahayu, Deputy for Prosecution and Execution at the KPK, at a press conference in Jakarta on Saturday evening.
He also reiterated that the KPK has issued Circular Letter No. 2 of 2026 concerning the control of gratuities and the prevention of corruption, particularly in the lead-up to religious holidays and in situations that could generate conflicts of interest.
Through this circular letter, the KPK has called on all state administrators and civil apparatus to maintain the integrity of their positions by neither accepting nor requesting any form of gift or benefit linked to their office and services.
“Avoiding such practices (providing things to external parties) is an important part of efforts to maintain the integrity of office and to ensure that authority is not abused,” Asep said.
In this case, Cilacap Regent AUL allegedly instructed the Regional Secretary of Cilacap Regency Sadmoko Danardono (SAD) to collect funds for the purpose of providing personal THR and gifts to external parties.
The external parties in question are the coordinating forum of regional leaders (Forkopimda) within Cilacap Regency Government. The money was requested from each regional body in the regency with a target collection of 750 million rupiah.
However, the government has already provided THR to 10.5 million civil servants, police and military personnel with a total value of 55.1 trillion rupiah.
“Therefore, in maintaining good relations and cooperation between regional government and Forkopimda, there is no longer any need to provide THR,” Asep said.
According to the KPK, the preparation of THR by a regional head through regional bodies demonstrates conduct by a state administrator that lacks integrity, and there is no legal justification or excuse.
On the other hand, such a practice can create a domino effect of other irregularities and violations, such as soliciting payments from private companies that have been promised project contracts in the region.
This, Asep noted, will have an impact on state or regional financial losses as well as the quality of infrastructure development, in this case in Cilacap Regency.
“The provision of THR from a regional head to Forkopimda could also serve as a modus operandi so that if there are suspicions of irregularities or violations occurring in the regional government, they are not prosecuted by local law enforcement agencies, as one component of Forkopimda,” Asep added.
The KPK suspects that the provision of THR from regional heads to Forkopimda may not be limited to Cilacap Regency. For this reason, the KPK has reminded regional heads and Forkopimda to mutually commit to realising good governance with full integrity.
“Likewise, the regional secretary as a senior official and career civil servant in the regional government should be able to refuse orders from a regional head that could have legal consequences and should also be able to remind the regional head, in this case the regent, that such conduct violates the law,” she said.
The KPK on Saturday designated Cilacap Regent AUL and Cilacap Regency Regional Secretary SAD as suspects in alleged corruption offences related to extortion and other illicit receipt of funds for the provision of THR.
Both are charged with violating Article 12 paragraph (e) and/or Article 12B of Law No. 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Corruption Offences, read together with Article 20 paragraph (c) of Law No. 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code.